In the small scale and home brewing industry, it is well known in the art to utilize various types of instruments throughout the brewing process to monitor temperature, specific gravity, and pH. These instruments can include thermometers, thermostats, hydrometers, and pH meters for monitoring the various aspects and controlling the variables in the beer brewing process. During the mashing process of beer making, or more appropriately stated, wort making (unfermented beer), precise control of temperature is vital to provide the desired flavor and level of sweetness and body desired for the finished beer. For example, if certain temperatures are exceeded, specific desirable enzymes may be permanently destroyed thereby changing the desired sugar content of the wort. If certain temperatures are not reached, the level of sweetness may not be developed.
Additionally, several temperature rest periods are commonly utilized in the mashing process to break down proteins, create fermentable and unfermentable sugars, and separate sugars from grains. A dough-in step is used to mix the crushed grains and the water, typically done between about 97° F. and about 113° F. A protein rest of between approximately 113° F. and approximately 132° F. is used to break down proteins. One or more saccharification rests, ranging between about 140° F. and about 162° F., allows enzymes to convert the starch of the grains into fermentable sugars. A “mash-out” is employed to stop the enzyme activity, “lock-in” the sugar profile, and reduce viscosity of the mash. A sparging (rinsing) process is performed to remove the sugars from the remaining grain particles and drained into a boiling vessel for additional processing. After the fermentable sugars have been formed, they are boiled to sterilize the wort, and hops are added to provide bitterness. After boiling, the wort must be quickly cooled to room temperature so that yeast may be added to begin the fermentation process and prevent bacterial contamination from long term exposure of wort to temperatures below about 140° F.
If the wort is mashed at a high temperature (between about 156° F. and about 162° F.), a wort will be created with more unfermentable sugars, resulting in a sweet finished beer. If the wort is mashed at a low temperature (between about 140° F. and about 152° F.), a wort will be created with few unfermentable sugars resulting in a dry finished beer. If the wort is mashed at a medium temperature (between about 152° F. and about 156° F.), a wort will be created with a mix of fermentable and unfermentable sugars resulting in a medium sweetness finished beer. If, after the mashing process, the grains are not heated to between about 164° F. and about 169° F., the starch converting enzymes will not be destroyed and the character of the wort will continue to change. It will also make the removal of the viscous wort from the spent grains more difficult. If the sparge water temperatures are exceeded (above about 175° F.), tannins may be leached out of the grains making the wort objectionably astringent. If the wort is not cooled to the correct temperature, yeast may be damaged, may create undesirable flavors, or encourage bacterial growth.
Similarly, as another example, people who brew their own beer or ferment their own wine can use a hydrometer to find out how much sugar is dissolved in the liquid. Brewers like to be able to take an original gravity reading to allow them to predict the potential alcohol percentage for the beer and then track the specific gravity for the duration of the brewing process to ensure that the gravity level remains consistent from one batch to the other. This can also be useful for knowing when to stop the fermentation process. Another important factor in the brewing process is the pH of the mash. Poor control of mash pH can often lead to undesirable flavors including astringency from excessive tannins. Beer brewed in the proper pH range will have a better overall flavor profile, be well rounded, and taste better. The pH is critical to proper enzymatic action during the mash. If the pH is not in the desired range, the sugar conversion in the mash will be affected along with the fermentability and flavor of the wort and beer.
It is well known in the art to install a thermometer into the boiling and mashing vessels to monitor these temperatures. However, this requires a threaded fitting to be installed on the vessel wall to receive the thermometer. Typically, a hole is drilled in the wall of the vessel and a coupling is welded into the hole. The thermometer can then be installed into this fitting. However, this fitting and welding are expensive and time consuming, particularly for a homemade beer-maker where access to this equipment and skill is limited. “Weldless” adapter kits are commonly available, but are prone to leaks and do not provide sufficient rigidity for a long life. A common design utilizes a pair of o-rings and a thin nut. The o-rings are sandwiched between the wall of the vessel and the nut is placed on the thermometer on the inside of the vessel. It is then tightened to compress the o-rings. However, it is difficult to keep fluids from leaking past the threaded fittings in areas where the o-rings cannot adequately seal.
From the above, it is clear that temperature, pH, and specific gravity monitoring and control is vital to developing a beer matching the brewer's desires. Since there are numerous temperature rests and wide temperature ranges for all the brewing sub processes, it is difficult for the brewer, particularly the novice, to remember and control them precisely and consistently throughout an entire hectic brewing session. Additionally, many current instruments are analog in nature and require notation and manual documentation of these measurements. A need exists for a sensor to be combined with a transceiver configured to communicate to a brewing monitoring and control system to record and trigger certain controls to maintain a desired brewing protocol.
Accordingly it is an object of this invention to overcome these obstacles through improved functionality and design. The enhanced bottle filler assembly has improved on these various drawbacks to ensure easier, safer, and more reliable use in the filling of bottles and other containers.